COLUMN: Cardinals, Royals trade deadline mysteries

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is Thursday, and Cardinals and Royals fans are wondering what their teams will do.

The Cardinals already made a deal, sending pitcher Anthony Reyes to Cleveland for Double-A reliever Luis Perdomo.

Perdomo has closing experience and was a Class A All-Star this year.

Clearly, this is a move for the future but does little to help the club this season in its quest to make the playoffs.

While the Cubs and Brewers made big moves to help their cause, the Cardinals have stood pat, hoping the return of Chris Carpenter on Wednesday night will give them the boost they need.

One tidbit of information concerning Toronto ace Roy Halladay caught my attention.

Halladay wants out of Toronto, and the Blue Jays talked to the Cardinals and Dodgers about their interest.

Trading for Halladay would be a great move. Not only would he help the Cardinals this season, but he would be under contract through the 2010 season.

Of course, the Blue Jays would probably want two of the Cardinals’ top prospects in return, and the Cardinals don’t appear interested in trading their best minor leaguers.

Another Toronto starter is on the Cardinals’ radar, A.J. Burnett, according to MLB.com. The Cardinals tried to sign him in 2006 but thankfully failed.

He has struggled to stay healthy — something the Cardinals don’t need — and when he’s pitched, he’s been inconsistent.

If the Cardinals make any moves, they would likely go after some help for the bullpen, which has been dreadful lately.

George Sherrill, the All-Star left-handed closer from Baltimore, Brian Fuentes, Eddie Guardado, Will Ohman, Jack Taschner, Ron Mahay, Scott Schoeneweis and John Grabow are names frequently mentioned in trade talks.

Meanwhile, the Royals have once again fallen out of contention in the AL Central. They have improved, but will they unload some veterans for more young talent?

Besides Mahay, the Royals have fielded calls from Atlanta about Jose Guillen, according to ESPN.com. The Royals would want a top-notch player to build around and another prospect.

David DeJesus, Zack Greinke and Gil Meche are players considered trade bait, the Kansas City Star reported.

The Royals would be fools to trade any of these players — with the exception of Mahay.

If they want to continue improving and eventually become competitive in the AL Central, they must keep these players and build around them.